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Home>Housing Choices
 Housing Choices
A healthy regional economy depends not only on jobs, but also on places for the workforce to live and contribute to the community. When workers live closer to their jobs they reinvest a larger part of their income in the local economy, commuting traffic decreases along with public infrastructure costs to maintain the roadways, and workers are able to spend more time with their families and become more involved in their communities. Providing a mix of quality housing choices that are affordable to households across the income spectrum is a key ingredient to maintaining vibrant communities.
The Tompkins County Planning Department is currently actively involved in several projects addressing housing choices.....
Tompkins County Housing Strategy
The Tompkins County Housing Strategy outlines four principal strategies that can be utilized to address the issue of affordable housing. These principal strategies have proven successful in other communities and were among the recommendations of the Tompkins County needs assessment. They include inclusionary and incentive zoning, community housing trust, employer assistance and community housing affordability fund.
 Housing Strategy (doc)
Resolution Endorsing Housing Strategy (doc)
The following municipalities and community organizations have formally adopted the Tompkins County Housing Strategy:
- Tompkins County Legislature
- City of Ithaca Common Council
- Ithaca Town Board
- Lansing Town Board
- Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services
- Tompkins County Area Development
- Better Housing for Tompkins County
- Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce
- Habitat for Humanity of Tompkins and Cortland Counties
Affordable Housing Needs Assessment
The Tompkins County Affordable Housing Needs Assessment, completed in August 2006, documents current housing, economic, and demographic trends in the County and forecasts the number of housing units that will need to be added to the current supply to meet the needs of our population in the next decade. The assessment also recommends actions to facilitate an increase in the supply of affordable housing units.
The study found a shortfall of 875 units (325 owner-occupied and 550 rental units) in 2005, when the data was collected. Housing unit demand is forecast to increase at a rate of 384 units per year, or by a total of 3,894 units, between 2006 and 2014. The study acknowledges that the community will need to mobilize resources over the next ten years to facilitate development of more than 2,500 units of housing affordable to households with incomes at or below the county’s household median income. The market simply will not provide units that are affordable to these households without some assistance from the public sector, community organizations and local institutions.
Tompkins County Homeownership Program
The Tompkins County Homeownership Program provides financial assistance to low- and moderate-income families to purchase homes in Tompkins County. In addition to down payment assistance, the program provides an educational workshop on the home buying process, maintenance workshops, and one-on-one financial counseling.
Since this program began in 1993, first-time home buyers in Tompkins County have been awarded over $4.6 million in grant funds as low interest loans, and over $470,000 as diminishing liens. This has leveraged nearly $13.8 million in private mortgage funds and helped 247 families become homeowners. This program is funded by Small Cities Community Block Grants received from the Governor’s Office for Small Cities.
The Homeownership Program provides basic assistance of up to 30% of the purchase price plus up to $3,750 in closing costs. The maximum financial assistance to participants is $30,000. For more information or to determine if you are eligible contact Better Housing for Tompkins County at 273-2187 or visit their website at www.betterhousingtc.org
Tools for Local Governments to Promote Affordable Housing
Local governments can promote affordable housing in many different ways, with some programs being mandatory and others providing incentives to developers, such as density bonuses, or parking waivers. Some programs require cash contributions to an affordable housing fund, while others involve construction of affordable units within the development.
Affordable Housing.doc
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